Written by: Andrea Portes
Directed by: Derick Martini
Genre: Drama

A 13-year-old Nebraska girl, Luli (Chloë Grace Moretz), runs away from her alcoholic parents, bringing along a pistol.  After she is taken under the wing of grifter Glenda (Blake Lively), who uses her in cons and makes her an accessory to a robbery, both their lives are threatened by erratic drifter Eddie (Eddie Redmayne).  Juliette Lewis, Alec Baldwin, and Rory Culkin also star.

I watched Hick solely because Chloë Moretz was in it.  I’ve been a fan of her since I saw her in an episode of My Name is Earl and came away very impressed.  Since then she’s gone on to bigger and better things like Kick-Ass, Let Me In, 500 Days of Summer, Hugo and Dark Shadows.

The objectification of Moretz starts early on when she appears in her rainbow underwear holding a gun.  After this, even though I knew nothing about the plot of Hick, it seemed pretty obvious where it was gonna go; Luli would get herself into trouble and at some point she would get hurt or raped.  Well that ended up happening but we were lucky enough as an audience to be spared from actually seeing anything.  I can’t abide rape scenes, and I certainly don’t want to see someone like Chloë Moretz go through one.

Whilst I was watching the film I couldn’t help but think about the Dakota Fanning film Hounddog which got all it’s publicity thanks to a graphic rape scene featuring Fanning.  I’ve never seen Hounddog but I imagine it got made thanks to the presence of Fanning and the nature of the film.  That level of controversy leads to publicity, and I think Hick took a similar route thanks to Chloë Moretz be paraded around as a sex object.

The actual story contained in the film is nothing special, Luli runs away from home for some reason and crosses paths with Eddie, a psychopath, and Glenda, a grifter, and thanks to Luli’s need to be with someone who can take care of her, she finds herself getting into trouble when Eddie’s affection for her gets too much for him to control.  The film ultimately builds to a disjointed and unsatisfactory conclusion in a cabin, with Luli seemingly just shrugging off all the things she’s been through over the previous few days.  I’m all for happy endings but I think this one glossed over Luli’s ordeal way too easily.

On the performance side of things I think most everyone does a decent enough job with the material they were given.  Eddie Redmayne is the clear standout thanks to his very effective portrayal of a crazy pervert.  Blake Lively does about as well as you’d expect the Gossip Girl star to do, but doesn’t nearly approach the quality of her performance in The Town.  Chloë Moretz delivers another natural performance which has none of the typical child actor awkwardness you usually see in young performers.  Besides the three leads it was a pleasant surprise to see Rory Culkin (who I’m a big fan of simply for the fact that he’s a Culkin) and Alec Baldwin (who I’m a fan of thanks to Working Girl, Beetlejuice and 30 Rock).

CONCLUSION
Chloë Moretz was good as the young and attractive Luli, but ultimately Hick is unimpressive due to the somewhat disjointed plot and a very unrewarding conclusion.

RATING: 5/10
FLICKCHART RANKING:  759 of 1515

Related posts:

1. DARK SHADOWS review
2. 365 Day Unseen Movie Marathon – Day 60 – LET ME IN (2010)
3. KICK-ASS review

HICK review HollywoodHubbub

Written by: Seth Grahame-Smith and John August and Dan Curtis (TV series)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Genre: Horror, comedy

Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet.  The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of falling in love with a beauty named Josette DuPres (Bella Heathcote) and breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green).  A witch in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death—turning him into a vampire, and then burying him…alive.

Nearly two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972, a stranger in an even stranger time.  Returning to Collinwood Manor, he finds that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin, and the dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets.

Family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) is the one person Barnabas entrusts with the truth of his identity.  But his rather odd and anachronistic behavior immediately raises the suspicions of the live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), who has no idea what kind of problems she’s really digging up.

As Barnabas sets out to restore his family name to its former glory, one thing stands in his way: Collinsport’s leading denizen, who goes by the name Angie…and who bears a striking resemblance to a very old acquaintance of Barnabas Collins.

Also residing in Collinwood Manor are Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloë Grace Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gully McGrath). The longsuffering caretaker of Collinwood is Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley), and new to the Collins’ employ is David’s nanny, Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), who is, mysteriously, the mirror image of Barnabas’ one true love, Josette.

That’s a long synopsis for a film where nothing much happens, although I think anyone who watches Dark Shadows does so because they want to see Johnny Depp as a kooky character rather than so they can see an outstanding story.

Despite the fairly ordinary story, I enjoyed the film because of the look, the cast, and the soundtrack.  Let’s be honest, Depp has made a habit out of playing weird characters in Tim Burton films, and his turn as Barnabus was an enjoyable additional to his catalogue of characters.  In addition, because I had no idea who was in Dark Shadows I was pleasantly surprised to see Michelle Pfeiffer, Jackie Earle Haley and Chloe Moretz.  Eva Green also did a good job with what she was given.  Acting hot and crazy suits her.

One of the first things I noticed, and liked, about the film was the soundtrack and it’s use of cool songs like “Nights in White Satin” by The Moody Blues and “Season of the Witch” by Donovan.  The Alice Cooper cameo was pretty cool too because the last thing I can remember him cameoing in what Wayne’s World.

The problem with Dark Shadows is that the cast, the look and the soundtrack, don’t make up for a weirdly structured, unfunny and boring film.  It wasn’t until past the 1 hour mark that anything of substance happened, with everything before this being used to introduce the characters and illustrate Barnabus’ “fish out of water” situation.  The ludicrous sex scene between Barnabus and Angelique took more away from the film than it added.  Eva Green’s supreme sexiness was completely wasted.

I’ve long given up hope that Tim Burton will make a good film (his last truly good film was Sleepy Hollow in 1999) and Dark Shadows does nothing to change that.  It’s a passable film which allows the audience to see Johnny Depp hamming it up as a vampire Captain Sparrow.

CONCLUSION
I have no clue whether Dark Shadows adheres to the old TV show or not, but I suspect it doesn’t matter one way or the other.  Dark Shadows isn’t a bad film, certainly not as bad as Battleship or Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, but it isn’t especially good either.  Ultimately, if you go in expecting a harmless retro gothic comedy horror you probably won’t come away disappointed.

RATING: 5/10
FLICKCHART RANKING:  541 of 1514

Related posts:

1. Megan Fox > Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. My review of TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
2. 365 Day Unseen Movie Marathon – Day 8 – DARK AND STORMY NIGHT (2009)
3. The first poster THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

DARK SHADOWS review HollywoodHubbub

Written by: Erich Hoeber & Jon Hoeber
Directed by: Peter Berg
Genre: Action, sci-fi

Battleship is an epic-scaled action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force.  Inspired by Hasbro’s classic naval combat game, Battleship stars Taylor Kitsch as Lt. Alex Hopper, a Naval officer assigned to the USS John Paul Jones; Brooklyn Decker as Sam Shane, a physical therapist and Hopper’s fiancée; Alexander Skarsgård as Hopper’s older brother, Stone, Commanding Officer of the USS Sampson; Rihanna as Petty Officer Raikes, Hopper’s crewmate and a weapons specialist on the USS John Paul Jones; and international superstar Liam Neeson as Hopper and Stone’s superior (and Sam’s father), Admiral Shane.

First off, can there be any doubt that Battleship is the most calculated film/product tie-in in history.  A summer blockbuster based on a game that no-one plays anymore featuring a ridiculous story and a host of young fairly poor actors.  I’m absolutely certain this film was only made because of Transformers and the Hasbro connection.  How could anyone think this would turn out well, it’s Independence Day + Armageddon + water, and at the end they add in a little Space Cowboys for good measure.

The entire first act is both boring and a waste of time because it plods along introducing all these paper-thin characters in the hope that the audience will somehow become attached.  It’s a dumb action movie.  I don’t care about the characters, I want explosions and spectacle and a little comic relief, not character growth.

Taylor Kitsch does what he was hired to do, speak his lines and look somewhat tough.  Brooklyn Decker adds nothing and could of been replaced by any number of hotter blondes and the film would have been better.  There’s an attempt to make Sam have some semblance of a story, she’s a physical therapist who’s new patient has no legs and has lost all hope.  The thing is, she doesn’t do anything other than drive a jeep down a hill and crash it.  Even her role as the “love interest” is uneventful because she’s really not involved with the action.  At least Megan Fox did something in the Transformers films besides just looking hot.

Alexander Skarsgård is there for a bit and then dead, with his role as Stone apparently only existing as a means to get Alex to join the Navy.  Likewise, Liam Neeson is given very little to do as Admiral Shane other than act as another hurdle for Alex to overcome.  Never mind that that hurdle is mostly a fear of asking for Sam’s hand in marriage.

Once the action kicked in, even though it took about 40 minutes, the film did improve thanks to some solid special effects.  But then came the inevitable references to the game and the whole film got boring as hell again with everyone sitting around watching a grid on a screen and trying to bomb aliens.

Then came the even worse third act with the ridiculous idea that the surviving crew could take out an old decommissioned battleship that was docked and acting as a museum, and take on an alien ship.  Not only that, they also rounded up a bunch of retirees to crew the ship, conjured up a shit ton of ammunition that would never have been there, defied the laws of physics by power drifting a battleship, and then stole the Titanic sinking scene where the ship goes nose down.

And on top of all this stupidity, I don’t even think the aliens came to Earth to cause trouble.  We sent a signal, they responded, and when they crashed into the ocean on their visit we tried to shoot at them with fucking Navy destroyers.  Every time they attacked the humans it was in response or defence to an attack directed at them.  The aliens cut off access to the area so they wouldn’t get bombarded with more attacks and then set about trying to contact their home planet to explain that Earth wasn’t so friendly and maybe try and get a lift home.  And why was it so important for the humans to stop the aliens from making their call.  They’ve already arrived.  They know where Earth is.  They can come back any time they want, but considering the lack of hospitality they received that’s probably not gonna happen soon.

Oh, and that Army dude fought dirty.  Taking off the alien’s mask so that he couldn’t see is like gouging someone’s eyes out.  It’s cheating.

CONCLUSION
Special effects and some decent comic relief can’t save this dud of a film.  Battleship is as ordinary as everyone expected it to be.

RATING: 4.5/10

FLICKCHART RANKING: 845 of 1513

Related posts:

1. The BATTLESHIP trailer is dumb
2. DISTRICT 9 review
3. THE DAYS BEFORE script review

BATTLESHIP review HollywoodHubbub

NBC aired three episodes of Community to finish off the season today, and whilst this apparent burning off (and the #sixseasonsandamovie hashtag at the end of the season finale) would ordinarily fill fans like me with an impending sense of doom, NBC has in their infinite wisdom renewed Community for a 13 episode 4th season.

Read on to see my thoughts on this triple header end to the third season.

Season 3 episode 20 – “Digital Estate Planning”

I don’t usually like the overly meta pop culture parody episodes of Community, and instead prefer episodes like “Modern Warfare”, “Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design” and the brilliant “Paradigms of Human Memory”.  However, being a ’90s kid and a lifelong believer that the 16-bit Super Nintendo/Sega Genesis (Megadrive) will forever be the best video game era, how could I not love “Digital Estate Planning”.  Not only were the group reduced to ’90s RPG avatars for pretty much the entire episode but it was damn funny too thanks to the racism and generational gap of Cornelius Hawthorne.

The group are attacked by jive turkeys and hippies, Pierce suffocates in a hole, Annie sets someone on fire and then bludgeons him to death, Troy and Pierce lose at strip poker, and Abed marries a women who spawns a million babies which then allows Abed to reimagine the game Matrix style.

On top of all this, Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring from Breaking Bad) guest stars and Pierce isn’t quite as racist as he typically is.  There’s nothing to dislike about this episode.

Rating:  8/10

Season 3 episode 21 – “The First Chang Dynasty”

She may look like something out of an asian horror movie but I think Gillian Jacobs (Britta) looks hot as hell in this episode as some weird goth chick.

This is the episode where “The Greendale Seven” finally set about bringing Chang’s misdeeds to light after he assumed power by kidnapping Dean Pelton and replacing him with a doppelgänger, and it’s another parody episode with obvious ties to Ocean’s 11.  However, thanks to Ken Jeong, Jim Rash and Donald Glover it rises above some of the previous overblown parody episodes (I’m looking at you “Basic Lupine Urology”) and brings an enjoyable end to the otherwise uninteresting arc of the group’s expulsion.

I’m actually disappointed that the rise of Chang didn’t lead to more screen time for Ken Jeong.  He’s by far my favourite person on Community and I always feel he’s underused.

Rating:  7/10

Season 3 episode 22 – “Introduction to Finality”

I don’t see how this episode couldn’t have fit at any point this season after Shirley decided she wanted to open a sandwich shop in the Greendale cafeteria.  It’s essentially a standalone episode in which Jeff gets to say that he wants to be a good person.  It certainly functions as a series finale instead of a season finale, and I can’t help but feel that it was produced to actually be a series finale.  Hell, it even had that #sixseasonsandamovie hashtag at the end.  Everyone got a little bow tied on their story at the end of an otherwise forgettable episode about Pierce and Shirley arguing over who would sign a lease for their sandwich shop.

Given that all fans of Community know it’s coming back for a short order 4th season, that bit of melancholy nostalgia at the end of the episode doesn’t hit as hard as it would of if the show had been cancelled.

All this isn’t to say that the finale was without any redeeming qualities.  After all, we did get to see a good amount of Evil Abed, including him taking Britta down a peg or two and attempting to cut off Jeff’s arm.

The problem is the other story involving Troy being forced into air conditioner repair school and discovering he was their Messiah was equally unimpressive.  Plus there was nothing for Annie to do.

As a season finale this was a letdown and I think “The First Chang Dynasty” would have worked better as the finale.

Rating:  6/10

Related posts:

1. COMMUNITY 1×01 review
2. COMMUNITY pilot script review
3. LOST 5×16/17 season finale review

COMMUNITY season 3 finale review HollywoodHubbub

The TV season is just about over so I thought I’d have a look back at the best shows of 2011-2012.  Some things don’t line up that well because the way cable channels like FX and HBO air their shows is slightly off kilter to the networks.

Below are my thoughts, rankings and scores for the 29 shows I watched on an ongoing basis this season from worst to first.  Bear in mind that my rankings are based on what I’m most excited to watch each week so they might not match up with the score I give for the quality of the show.  Oh, and I’m behind on Mad Men so that’s not included in the list.

29. Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23
Meh.  Talk about high concept, that ridiculous title says it all.  I’ve watched the first two episodes and it’s very ordinary.  Kristen Ritter basically plays the same character she did in She’s Out of My League.  It’s not very funny and that hurts a sitcom.  Still, bonus points for James Van Der Beek.  4.5/10

28. Awake
The pilot was intriguing, but the few additional episodes I watched beyond the pilot just reinforced that the show is a basic procedural but with two storylines for the protagonist crammed into each episode.  It’s not necessarily bad I just don’t like procedurals.  It’s been cancelled now and you can read my opinion on that here.  5/10

27. Alcatraz
It’s a far cry from the brilliance of Lost, but that should be expected.  It’s in effect a basic police procedural with a hint of sci-fi and mythology to suck in genre fans.  Jorge Garcia is wasted and Sam Neill is almost as annoying as David Caruso in CSI: Miami.  Oh, and Fox has cancelled the show now.  5/10

26. The Secret Circle
It was obvious from the very beginning that The Secret Circle wanted so desperately to be The Vampire Diaries that it was embarrassing.  The truth is it’s not even close.  There’s no chemistry, there are no characters to root for, there’s no “big bad”, there’s no overarching plot, there’s shitty dialogue and lame special effects.  The CW has opted to not bring the show back next season and I think that’s one of the smartest decisions the netlet has made in a long time.  5/10

25. How I Met Your Mother
Just like Glee, HIMYM doesn’t feel like the show I used to love.  Something’s off and I’ve continued to lose interest in the show from the beginning of the season.  It’s a shame because I always looked forward to each new episode.  Aside from the good episode here or there, I think the show started to lose something when Barney and Robin got together, and things only got worse when Marshall and Lilly moved out of the apartment they were sharing with Ted.  The show did improve once Marshall and Lilly moved back into the apartment in Manhattan, and the season finale was pretty good, but I just know it’s gonna be another long drawn out season when it starts up again in September.  I should just stop watching because I know HIMYM never really delivers on the promises it makes.  5/10

24. 2 Broke Girls
I started watching this show simply because I’m a big fan of Kat Dennings (having loved her in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Charlie Bartlett), but it quickly became apparent that the show isn’t that good.  Beth Behrs has grown on me, as has the Russian cook in the diner, but the Asian dude and the black guy are annoying racist stereotypes that I can’t let slide.  There’s also the glaring problem that the show isn’t funny.  Sitcoms are supposed to be funny.  5/10

23. Glee
This show seems so far removed from the one I loved in season 1 that it doesn’t even feel like the same show anymore.  Rachel has been sidelined and the other voices given more screentime.  Each episode is framed to force feed a moral story on a weekly basis.  And the one gay relationship I do like on the show, Brittany and Santana, never seems to go anywhere.  I’m hoping that Kurt, Mercedes, Artie and Quinn disappear for good next season.  I rank it higher than the stuff listed above for the simple fact that every now and then they do a good cover, and Heather Morris is awesome.  Quality-wise it’s subpar.  4.5/10

22. Veep
I’ve only watched the first episode so I’m a little behind, however I’m happy that Tony Hale is back on TV and that I can see Matt Walsh each week.  I’m concerned that a political parody like this show is going to get tiresome quickly though.  6/10

21. Justified
Another solid season for this Elmore Leonard based show.  It’s never spectacular but Dickie Bennett (played by the extremely talented Jeremy Davies) more than makes up for that.  Plus Timothy Olyphant has been a favourite of mine since Scream 2, Go, and Deadwood.  6.5/10

20. South Park
How the mighty have fallen.  South Park was the best animated show for a very long time but as soon as Archer debuted it fell to second place and I even think that Bob’s Burgers is better now too.  The show is still good but it’s far more hit or miss now than it ever was before.  5.5/10

19. Bob’s Burgers
H Jon Benjamin strikes again, and whilst it’s not as good as Archer, it’s another good animated show which is far superior to everything on Fox’s Sunday animation block.  Kristen Schaal does a great job as Louise and there’s great cinematography (if that even applies to animated shows) in episodes now and then.  I remember being really startled during the pilot when there’s a shot of a leaf falling towards Bob.  I’d never seen something animated that way in a show before and it really impressed me.  It’s also laugh out loud funny on a consistent basis.  6.5/10

18. Happy Endings
I decided to watch this show simply because Damon Wayans Jr was in the pilot of New Girl and then disappeared due to his commitment to Happy Endings.  I was surprised to discover that the show is decent, and very surprised to discover that Elisha Cuthbert has some comedic ability beyond being stalked by a cougar.  6/10

17. Game of Thrones
You know what, this show is nothing special.  It’s got a crazy enthusiastic following, both because of the books and because of the show, but it never blows me away.  It just keeps plodding along, sometimes jumping along in time from episode to episode, sometimes with each episode being very close together in the timeline.  Still, it’s suitably violent every now and again, and it did allow me to see Carice Van Houten naked again, so I’ll continue to watch.  I’m really looking forward to Joffrey being killed and Daenerys doing something (anything) other than threatening to do something.  6/10

16. American Horror Story
It’s bat shit fucking insane and has completely random stories, but it’s weirdly addictive all the same.  I remember having a chat with a friend about the show and whilst neither of us could articulate why we enjoyed it, we both did.  I’m intrigued to see how the second season plays out with an entirely new cast and location, although given that Ryan Murphy is responsible I fully expect the storytelling to be just as disjointed as the first season (and Glee).  6/10

15. Survivor
Colton was the villain that didn’t go far enough, Chelsea was really fucking hot, Troyzan was probably my favourite, but Kim deserved to win.  Thankfully the person who deserved to win actually did, which isn’t something that happens very often on Survivor.  You can check out what I thought of the season and the finale here.  6/10

14. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It continued to be highly inappropriate and wonderful because of it.  Thinking back on the season the things that really stick out are the gangs visit to the Jersey Shore and the game of Chardee MacDennis.  6.5/10

13. Modern Family
I never keep up with Modern Family on a week to week basis, but when I do eventually sit down and catch up I’m always angry with myself that I wasn’t watching the episodes as soon as they aired.  Everyone in this show is good, but I am most impressed by Sophia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Sarah Hyland, and Ariel Winter.  It’s not the best comedy on TV (network TV), that honour probably goes to Parks and Recreation, but it’s gotta be in the top 5.  7/10

12. Boardwalk Empire
It continues to be a slow-burn show, which has flashes of violence and mayhem and not enough pure mob related drama, but it deserves credit for having the balls to whack Jimmy in the season finale.  I didn’t think that would happen.  7.5/10

11. True Blood
God this show is frustrating.  There are so many elements which make it good, like Pam, Jessica, Russell, Godric, Sophie-Anne, the flashbacks, the sex, and the violence.  Then there are the terrible things which drag it down, like Tara, the Merlotte family, the love triangle between Sookie, Bill and Eric, the shitty villains in season 2 and 4.  True Blood never gets the majority of things right.  Never.  Yet I can’t stop watching.  I’m not sure there’s ever been a show as addictive and truly frustrating as True Blood before.  5.5/10

10. New Girl
For a show that I only started watching so I could see Zooey Deschanel it’s very pleasing to know that it introduced Schmidt, the best new character on TV.  Not only that, but Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, and Hannah Simone have made this into a true ensemble show.  The only thing I’m not looking forward to in season 2 is the inevitable “will they won’t they” between Jess and Nick.  7/10

9. Luck
Who would of thought that a show about horse racing and betting could be so damn good. Considering my undying love for Deadwood I shouldn’t have been surprised that David Milch would create another great show.  Luck also did the impossible, it made me like Dustin Hoffman.  It’s a distinct shame that the renewed second season was cancelled due to a number of deaths of horses on set.  7.5/10

8. Community
Some of the super-meta, pop culture referencing parody episodes go a little too far in my opinion, but there’s no doubt that Community is a very good show that doesn’t have the viewership it should do.  This show deserves praise for introducing Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Annie’s boobs, Dean Pelton, and Chang.  Plus I’m a big fan of Chevy Chase so having him back on a regular basis is awesome.  No matter how much of a prick he’s supposed to be in real life.  It’s great that NBC has picked up Community for a 4th season but somewhat bittersweet because they’ve only ordered 13 episodes.  But you never know, maybe one of their other million new sitcoms will be shit and they’ll extend the episode order for Community.  We can only hope.  7/10

7. Parks and Recreation
To be honest, this season has been a little bit of a letdown after what we’ve come to expect from the show.  Still, it’s been enjoyable and funny, and Adam Scott has remained, which I didn’t think would happen when he was first introduced.  We also got to see Paul Rudd and Kathryn Hahn on a fairly regular basis which was pretty cool.  7/10

6. Archer
The best animated show on TV by a wide margin.  It’s often hilarious and inappropriate, and there are never enough episodes.  There’s not much more that needs to be said.  8/10

5. Breaking Bad
I find it hard to sit down and watch a single isolated episode of Breaking Bad because each season is constructed in a way that demands you watch it from start to end.  There’s a beauty to just about every episode of this show that you don’t find anywhere else on TV with the exception of Mad Men.  I’m very disappointed that the final season is going to be broken up into two segments, but I’m looking forward to how the tale of Walter and Jessie ends.  My money is on Hank discovering the truth and Walter killing him.  Walter has gotten darker each season and I can only see that trend continuing right until the very end.  8/10

4. Girls
There’s been a crazy amount of online chatter and criticism about this show which was mostly a knee jerk reaction to the fact that a 26 year old girl was writing, directing and starring in a very good show on HBO, and people were upset/jealous about it.  There were also those who were mad that the show didn’t depict the female gender as they see it or live it.  Whatever.  Girls is funny and entertaining, and it seems grounded in reality (to me at least), so what’s not to like?  I’ll continue to watch and hope for many more seasons to come.  I also want to give kudos to Dunham for getting naked a lot.  I would of thought that someone of her age who’s able to control what she does on screen would not have flashed her tits so often, if at all, so I’m pleased that she’s not shy about it in the slightest.  Chances are we won’t see Allison Williams naked though based on what she said in an interview with Vulture.  I’m also continually amazed that this show does stuff that I’ve never ever seen on TV before.  Who would of thought that Adam jerking off while Hannah watches and admonishes him would be so damn funny (and tragic).  7.5/10

3. Louie
It has to be the most unique show on TV right now because despite being a comedy it can often be very serious and poignant.  Witness the God episode from last season, or the Afghanistan episode from this season.  I don’t see any other comedic shows being able to do something like that and do it so well.  It’s a credit to Louie CK and FX that the show is the way it is.  Here’s hoping that we get plenty more before the show finally goes off the air.  8/10

2. Eastbound & Down
It’s a credit to Danny McBride that a guy as loud, brash, hedonistic, and completely immoral as Kenny Powers can be so damn likeable.  There are so many things to love about this show that I find it difficult to believe that anyone couldn’t be a fan.  Whether it’s Kenny’s ridiculous insults or turn of phrase, Stevie Janowski (the best sidekick ever),  Ashley Schaeffer, Deep Roy, the change in locations for each season, the nudity, the soundtrack, or the fact that Kenny basically stayed the same throughout the show, I don’t think I can pick fault with Eastbound & Down.  8.5/10

1. The Vampire Diaries
My A #1 favourite show last year is in the top spot once again.  This season was kinda all over the place.  It started well with Stefan being dragged around by Klaus, it lagged a bit in the middle, it introduced the entire Original Family only to scatter them and kill some, mother Original Ester was very underwhelming, father Original Michael was awesome and then dead far too easily for someone that Klaus (the baddest most scary of Originals) was running from for centuries, Klaus got softened too much, the Salvatore brothers were given too much leeway by the Originals considering they are clearly inferior to Klaus, Rebeka, Elijah and the rest, Jeremy still comes across as the emo younger brother who throws temper tantrums, and Bonnie is still the second most annoying person on a vampire show behind Tara on True Blood.  None of that matter.  I love this show and waited with baited breath for each new episode.  Now that Elena has finally been turned (or will be next season once she transitions) I cannot wait to see what happens.  As long as Klaus gets back in his own body soon I’m gonna be very happy.  7.5/10

Related posts:

1. Best of the Week: 25th Sept – 1st Oct 2011
2. Best of the Week: 18th – 24th Sept 2011
3. Best of the Week: 9th – 15th Oct 2011

The best TV shows of 2011-2012 HollywoodHubbub

It’s usually uncommon for the winner of Survivor to be someone that I actually believe deserves to win.  In fact, the only winners that I’ve been happy with during the course of the show (of which I’ve watched about 11 of the 14 seasons) are Tom (season 10 – Palau), and Boston Rob (season 22).  So it’s very pleasing that Kim, the person who’s had the most control and influence this season and had thoroughly dominated the second half of the season, was crowned the winner of Survivor One World.

Before I watched the mammoth finale and reunion shows I was preparing to write about how Sabrina and Chelsea, should either of them have won, weren’t necessarily undeserving winners but rather that Kim was the most deserving.  Thankfully events didn’t transpire which would have required me to type a whole load of stuff about how the jury can never think with a clear head and how they let their jealousy play too big a part.

Survivor lives or dies each season by the personalities and performances of the castaways, great villains like Russell Hantz make for very entertaining television and good seasons, whereas dull or underserving winners ultimately lead to poor seasons.  That’s why Survivor can be so hit or miss.  Thankfully this was an enjoyable season of Survivor thanks to Kim, Chelsea, Troyzan, and Colton, the lack of Redemption Island, no hidden immunity idol use, and a mostly sunny and pleasant location.

Now I guess I can forget about Survivor until it returns in September, along with three previous castaways who were removed from the game due to injury, and we can all go through this weird little social experiment again.

Season Rating:  7.5/10

Winner Rating: 9/10

Favourite castaway: Kim

Least favourite castaway: Alicia

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SURVIVOR ONE WORLD delivers a worthy winner at last HollywoodHubbub

Joe Carroll, a former University professor who killed a bunch of female college students, escapes from jail.  Ryan Hardy, the man who caught him, is brought in after leaving the FBI to team with a Mason, a tough female FBI Agent, to recapture Carroll.  It turns out Carroll had help on the outside from a network of wanna be serial killers.

In an interview with Collider, Kevin Williamson had this to say about his upcoming serial killer show on Fox:

You’ll be routing for the FBI agent who is going to bring him down. It’s very emotional. It’s this huge, big, hybrid show like The Vampire Diaries, where it relies on the twists and turns, and the tears, where you just get so invested in the characters and you’re like, “No, not that one,” and then they die. It’s one of those shows.

The Vampire Diaries is probably my favourite show on TV right now, so a comparison by Williamson to that show piqued my interest.  After reading the pilot script by Williamson I see hints of his description, but I don’t know how it will develop into a “huge, big, hybrid show”.  To me it comes across as a standard kinda dark procedural.  I did experience a “no, not that one” reaction whilst reading the script, and I think if it can generate that reaction in me without any of the sensory factors which go along with actually watching a TV show, I think this reaction may be a common occurrence should the show end up running for a while.

I thought the flashbacks to when Ryan was tracking and caught Joe were done well, as well as the ones featuring other character like the student who survived, and Carroll’s wife, and they helped to introduce some of the characters who I assume will be major players going forward.

Whilst reading the script I couldn’t help but picture Carroll as being played by Jere Burns (Duffy from Justified).  He’s not written in any particularly definitive way, but it was the first actor that came to mind and I couldn’t shake it.  Likewise, I couldn’t help but imagine Robin Tunney playing Mason, in no small part because I don’t like Robin Tunney and I didn’t like Mason.

My initial impression whilst reading was that it will probably need to be toned down a bit.  First of all the language, ‘cos I’m fairly certain Fox doesn’t want a bunch of f-bombs being dropped each episode.  Plus it’s a little bit too gruesome in its depiction of violence against women.  I like violence in movies but I don’t like my TV shows to be too gratuitous.

I can say right now that I’m not going to enjoy the initial feeling that every new character introduced could be a potential serial killer.  That shit will get old real fast.

I’m also not too sure about the potential longevity of a show based in essence on tracking serial killers controlled and motivated by someone behind bars, especially if the authorities do what they should and place Joe in solitary to avoid him influencing people on the outside.  It seems rather limited and a bit freak-of-the-week to me.  Still, it’s just a pilot, and shows typically develop and evolve as time moves on.  The thing I always come back to is Seinfeld, which I thought was pretty damn ordinary for the first season and a half, and then developed into arguably the best TV show of all time.

I think that casting, and a commitment for the show to be something more than an ordinary procedural, will ensure that it develops an audience.  This in turn should keep the notoriously cancellation happy Fox from axing the show prematurely.  If both of those factors aren’t covered then I can see myself losing interest like I did with Prison Break and Fringe.

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1. SONS OF TUCSON pilot script review
2. NO HEROICS pilot script review
3. COMMUNITY pilot script review

My thoughts on UNTITLED KEVIN WILLIAMSON PROJECT serial killer script HollywoodHubbub

Title: “Pilot”
Written By: Elizabeth Meriwether
Air Date: Sept 20th 2011 (available now on iTunes)

Jess, a cute but nerdy girl, is cheated on by her boyfriend, and unable to stay with her best friend, she moves in with three guys she found on Craigs List.

Lets get the obvious out of the way, the draw of New Girl is clearly Zooey Deschanel.  It’s her first real effort at TV and cos I’m a big fan of this manic pixie dream girl, I’m gonna like this show.  It’s inevitable.

The pilot plays to the charm of Deschanel, namely her overwhelming adorability, but I did find the three roommates to be fairly decent too.  Nick (played by Jake M Johnson) comes across as a slightly less schlubby Charlie Day.  Although the fact that Nick’s ex-girlfriend is played by the waitress from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia probably helped this comparison.

Schmidt (played by Max Greenfield, probably most known for his role as a sheriff’s officer in Veronica Mars) really is a douchebag, but I feel as time goes by the writers will develop him into a more three dimensional character.

Coach (played by Damon Wayans Jr) is easily the best of the supporting characters so it’s a shame that his other show got picked up for another season and he won’t be continuing on in New Girl.  He’s a funny guy that has a nice way of delivering lines.  Plus I always think of his performance in The Other Guys and it makes me smile.

So Deschanel is awesome, and the three guys are at least passable, what about the hot model friend of Jess played by Hannah Simone?  Well, she doesn’t do much in the pilot except be hot, kinda aloof, and dress Jess in a sexy black outfit.  If she continues to just be the hot unfunny friend then I can’t see that she adds anything to the show, but I have a feeling that she’ll end up being a love interest for either Coach or Schmidt.

The one other thing which struck me was the terrible theme song, it sounded like a 30 Rock/SNL sketch joke.  It was only after I was about half way through the episode that I realised the theme was a joke based on Jess’ habit of singing about random stuff, and she does in fact make up a theme song for herself.  Still, I kinda hope they change the theme song or just do away with it entirely.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion
It’s a single camera, non laugh track sitcom, so right away it’s better than Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory.  I was looking forward to watching New Girl because I’m such a big fan of Zooey Deschanel, but to be honest I wasn’t expecting it to be particularly impressive.  For the most part New Girl isn’t that impressive, but it did exceed my expectations, and I really have to credit the extraordinarily lovable Zooey Deschanel for that.  I’d like to have a full season of the show to see how they develop the supporting characters, but considering the show airs on the fickle and notoriously demanding Fox, I’m expecting that it’ll be cancelled within the first 8 episodes.

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1. NO HEROICS pilot script review
2. SONS OF TUCSON pilot script review
3. COMMUNITY pilot script review

NEW GIRL 1×01 “Pilot” review HollywoodHubbub

Written by: Terry Rossio & Ted Elliott and Tim Powers (novel)
Directed by: Rob Marshall
Genre: Action, adventure

Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and his daughter Angelica (Penelope Cruz) are after it too.

I love the first three Pirate of the Caribbean films.  Love them.  Especially the last two.  I know critics say they’re bloated films with a mess of a plot, but I don’t care.  There is such massive scope to them that I can’t help but be drawn in.  Even with the annoyingly whiny Orlando Bloom.

What became instantly apparent when I was watching On Stranger Tides is that there simply isn’t that sense of epic scale.  It’s a very small film.  There aren’t any breathtaking special effects ala Davey Jones or the Kraken, there aren’t any massive battles like the end of At World’s End, hell there aren’t any decent fights.  There’s one shitty fight between Jack and Angelica that’s reminscent of the fight between Jack and Will in Curse of the Black Pearl, and there’s an anti-climactic fight between Barbossa and Black Beard at the end.  So very dull.  How they spent the budget of $250 million on this I don’t know.  I get the feeling that $200 million went to Johnny Depp and the remainder was split between the rest of the cast, special effects and promotion, ‘cos none of it looks like it went up on the screen.

The absolute only worthwhile thing about On Stranger Tides is Ian McShane as Black Beard.  Don’t get me wrong, the character of Black Beard wasn’t that interesting but I did enjoy seeing McShane give a little bit of an Al Swearengen performance.

On Stranger Tides looks and feels like something an amateur would write as fan fiction.  Unlike Scream 4, On Stranger Tides is a completely unnecessary and undeserving entry in the franchise.

RATING: 5/10

CONCLUSION
Ian McShane is in it, Orlando Bloom isn’t, and it’s another chance to see Captain Jack Sparrow.  Those are the only good things about Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

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2. ADVENTURELAND review
3. JENNIFER’S BODY review

My PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES “review” HollywoodHubbub

Written by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Genre: Action, comic, war, sci-fi

After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) fights for a place on a top secret research project run by Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) and Dr Erskine (Stanley Tucci) that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.

I should start by saying that whilst I’m not American I do love America.  I grew up in England and now live in Australia but ever since I first visited the US in 1984 I’ve felt a love for the country that simply isn’t there for my native land.  I’ve been back seven more times since then and long for the chance to move to the US on a permanent basis.  All this is a kinda gooey, hokey way to say that I’m not one of these people who dislike America for it’s storybook ideals and “we’re number 1″ attitude.

The most disappointing thing about Captain America: The First Avenger is that it’s going to be (or already is) number 1 at the box office not because it’s a particularly good film, but because it plays to that phony rah rah attitude of American superiority.  I know America is awesome, I don’t need to be hit over the head with nostalgic patriotism.

As for the film as a whole, I found that the first act was my favourite section of the film because we actually got to spend some time with the characters, whereas Joe Johnston sped through the story in the later acts just so he could get to the next action sequence.  I know it’s a delicate balance when it comes to the pacing of a film, you don’t want to skip ahead too quickly or linger too long, but with Captain America I feel that the whole campaign against Hydra begun, proceeded and concluded far to quickly.  Yeah, he’s Captain America, but that doesn’t mean he can’t encounter some kind of obstacle or setback.  We all know he’s gonna win in the end, the hero always does, but the protagonist needs to face an obstacle.  That’s screenwriting 101.

On the actor side of things I think Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving and Tommy Lee Jones did a decent job, but Haley Atwell as the sexy 1940s pinup-like  officer was a real negative for the film.  I realise they can’t cast some skinny blonde bombshell but my complaint isn’t entirely based on Atwell’s looks.  I think she gave a somewhat OK performance with the material she was given, but that whole romance between her and Captain America was completely manufactured.  There was nothing natural or organic about their relationship, and the “meet in one week” conversation as his plane was going down was laughable.  I’m very hopeful given the way the film ended that Atwell won’t be returning in any form in either The Avengers or the likely sequel.

And speaking of how the film ended, I hope they explain how a guy can be buried in ice in the Antarctic(?) for 70 years and neither age or die.  That seems ludicrous even for a comic movie.

RATING:  6/10

CONCLUSION
I think Captain America: The First Avenger works best as an origin story which sets up Joss Whedon’s upcoming The Avengers.  The first act is decent but the rest feels rushed and paced far too quickly.  Chris Evans is a credible Steve Rogers and Hugo Weaving once again does a good job as a villain.  The special effects are OK and the film is passable.  I wasn’t expecting to be blown away and Captain America: The First Avenger met those expectations.

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER review HollywoodHubbub